Cooling systems, including refrigeration systems and other types of HVAC systems, typically include one or more fans to generate air flow across an evaporator and/or condenser. Cooling systems can be used in many different settings including domestic settings and commercial settings.
The fans of cooling systems are typically driven by electric motors. The electric motors draw current and are responsible for a large portion of the energy consumed by cooling systems. As such, efforts to improve the energy efficiency of cooling systems should consider energy consumed by such electric motors.
At a basic level, an electric motor is an electrical machine that converts electrical energy into mechanical energy. There are many different types of electric motors known. However, at a high level, electric motors are categorized as either DC motors or AC motors depending on the current they are designed to use. While many design variants exists, most motors include common basic elements such as a rotor, stator, windings, and a commutator.